…From a Strand of Thread…
I am in awe of artists’ ability to share feelings in such an intimate, expressive way. Throughout my life, color, texture, shape, and most importantly, nature, have been magnets. Little did I know after the death of my husband that art would be the healing therapy that would bring renewed meaning and joy to my life. My life and career had been entrenched in financial services for 25 years, not art!
With loss comes a sense of aloneness, worthlessness, hollowness, and uselessness. At the intersection of those emotions and an overpowering basal need to express those sentiments creatively, my artwork is born. I use thread and throwaways to symbolize how even the tired, used, and totally spent can experience new life. Through free motion machine embroidery, I seek the viewer’s visceral response of surprise as they realize the sculptured material is simply thread. It’s the reminder and the confirmation that one little strand — or woman — truly can do seemingly impossible things when challenged to do so.
Purchasing my work:
Thank you so much for sharing how much you enjoy my work! It genuinely is a humbling experience to have people willing to part with hard earned dollars to claim one of my works as their own treasure!
My work is so delicate and so tedious, on average, I can complete only perhaps one piece per month. Many of the works you see here on the website already have homes with others. If you have interest in a particular piece, please feel free to contact me directly for availability and pricing.
Please also know that, because of the time involved and the demand, much of my work is now done on an individual, customized, commissioned basis. If you would like a unique piece completed just for you and your space, please feel free to contact me as well.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you!
Carla
A VISIT WITH THE ARTIST:
PBS WHYY's Movers and Makers, original air date May 14, 2020
One of the honors I have been granted during my very short art career was to have been selected as one of the inaugural artists at the Cherry Street Pier (CSP). An exciting new partnership and vision of the City and County of Philadelphia, the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC), the Knight Foundation, and the William Penn Foundation, CSP brought new life to a 100 year old shipping pier on the Delaware River. Fourteen artists studios were carved out of shipping containers, along with three historic Philadelphia trolleys made into food vignettes, all giving nod to the many iterations of life experienced by the pier in the past. A beer garden begs visitors to savor the panoramic view of the Ben Franklin Bridge spanning the river to New Jersey.
Using the words of the Knight Foundation, the mission of the pier was “to make art understandable and accessible to the masses”. One of my keen joy was sharing the history of the pier and the fun stories of my fellow artists with those who strolled in to visit!
In the summer of 2019, WHYY, Philadelphia’s PBS Affiliate Television Station, came to capture the stories on film. The full version (which can also be seen on YouTube) aired on May 14, 2020. DRWC leaders and managers told of yesterday’s history of the pier. A few artists making tomorrow’s history were asked to share their story.
Attached is a video featuring an incredible sculptor, Acori Honzo, and me. The entire excerpt is only roughly seven and a half minutes long, but if you are in a hurry, my part starts at 3:53.
Exhibitions and Residencies
Awards
- Recipient Leonardo DaVinci International Prize for Contemporary Art….January 25, 2020….Florence Italy
- Recipient UNESCO International Women in Art… Rome, Italy…September 2020
Residencies
- Artist in Residence, Cherry Street Pier…Oct 12, 2018 -- February 2020…Philadelphia, PA
- Artist in Residence … Sept 2016- May 2017 … University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Upcoming Events and Exhibitions
- February 11-14, 2021 Red Dot-Spectrum Art Basel; Miami, FLA
- April 22-25, 2021 ArtExpo NYC; New York, NY
Past Exhibitions
- MUSA International Women’s Essesence Show, Palazzo Velli Expo – Rome, Italy…Sept 1-28, 2020
- Fluid Transitions, DaVinci Art Alliance…. Philadelphia, PA …. August 7 – 28, 2020
- ArtExpo NYC… Arril 4-7, 2019 … New York, New York
- earth… JAN 15 – FEB 26, 2018… TUBAC CENTER FOR THE ARTS, TUBAC, AZ
- PAM EXHIBITION …JAN 12 – FEB 15, 2018 …MAIN LINE ART CENTER;PHILADELPHIA, PA
- On the Verge … Aug – Oct 2017… Alice C Sabatini Gallery; Topeka, KS
- Making It 2017 … Sept 22 -Oct 20 2017 …Hamilton Hall Gallery; Philadelphia, PA
- Wax Poetic … Oct 1 – Nov 19, 2017 … Fabulon Gallery; Charleston, SC
- Orange is the New Black … Oct 21 – Nov 18, 2017 … Ashton Gallery; San Diego, CA
- Scythia Mini Textile Art, 8th International Exhibit … June 2017…Ivano-Frankivs’k, Ukraine
- Scythia Mini Textile Art 8th International Exhibit … July 2017 … Kherson, Ukraine
- International Fiber Art Fair … June 2017 … Seoul, South Korea
- Making Marks … Dec 2016 – Jan 2017 … Wayne, PA
- Art Unleashed … Apr 2016 …Philadelphia, PA
- International Embroidery Museum … Nov 2016 – Apr 2017 … Chung Yung Yang, Korea
- World of Threads …Nov 2016 …Toronto, Canada
- PMA Craft Show … Nov 2016 … Philadelphia, PA
- Wunderkammen … Apr 2016 … University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
- Do or Dye … Nov 2015 …University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
- Joint … Sept 2015 … Philadelphia, PA
- Domestic Landscape … May 2015 … Philadelphia, PA